CMax's garage conversion workshop build.

[CMax]

Hi all. Thanks for all your suggestions and help in the previous thread. Work is now underway. Since my last post, I've cleared the garage, received materials, laid the floor (70mm EPS-100 insulation on top of a DPM and 22mm moisture-resistant board on top of the EPS. I'll also be putting down some laminate and will use rubber matting around the work areas).

Studwork is 2x3 at 600mm centres. I'm using Rockwool semi-rigid panels for the insulation and I'll be boarding out with 11mm OSB. For electrics, I'll have six metal-clad doubles (two on each non-door wall) and two 4400 lumin LED 4ft panels for lighting.

I'm currently putting up the studs and will drill access holes for my neighbour (the electrician) to run the wiring. I should hopefully have the bulk of the work done by the end of the week (barring the doors. I'm planning on replacing the Up & Over with regular side-hinged doors in the next month or so).

 

[topchippytom]

Looks good but put loads of sockets in at this stages as never have to many.

 

[CMax]

This is going to be primarily a hand-tool only workshop so I won't have any machinery or power tools (beyond a couple of drills). The only sockets I really need are for battery chargers, a TV, and a wireless speaker. So I think 12 sockets will likely cover any eventuality, although that said, my neighbour who is doing the wiring is going to do in such a way that I can easily add more if it ever comes to it.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

My garage was a double - I had 25 double sockets and still couldn't reach half of them.

 

[CMax]

My garage was a double - I had 25 double sockets and still couldn't reach half of them.

Luckily for me, handsaws, planes and chisels don't need electricity I have plenty of excess energy on my gut to power things for quite some time!

 

[Phil Pascoe]

It's not that you need the numbers, but that the more you have the more likely it is you have the one you need in the right place.

 

[Rorschach]

My garage was a double - I had 25 double sockets and still couldn't reach half of them.

I have a 3m x 7.5m workshop and power everything from 3 double sockets :shock: :lol:

As you might expect I have a lot of extension strips everywhere.

 

[Neil S]

Hi Cmax, great build. Are your 2 lights arranged longitudinally along the middle of the garage? I would turn them sideways so they span across the short side of the garage and allow for 4 lighting strips. I have 4 in my single car garage and I also painted the walls white which makes a huge difference. You cannot have too much light when you are trying to cut things to a fine pencil line or a knife line.
I also have an angle-poise for bringing in to illuminate specific areas in shadow.

Hope that helps

-Neil

 

[Benchwayze]

This is going to be primarily a hand-tool only workshop so I won't have any machinery or power tools (beyond a couple of drills). The only sockets I really need are for battery chargers, a TV, and a wireless speaker. So I think 12 sockets will likely cover any eventuality, although that said, my neighbour who is doing the wiring is going to do in such a way that I can easily add more if it ever comes to it.

I recently had a new consumer unit fitted for my home. The old one was located in my integral garage/workshop. The friend who installed, wired up the old unit to serve the garage only, so my shop now has its own consumer unit. Very convenient. Just in case you might get an idea.

Doors. Which way does your entrance face? My shop is just like yours (Except the house stairs intrude at the far end; a ruddy nuisance!) My metal door faces due south and I believe that is why I never get any condensation, nor ever a speck of rust. I don't think I would fit wooden doors now!

John (hammer)

 

[CMax]

Hi Cmax, great build. Are your 2 lights arranged longitudinally along the middle of the garage? I would turn them sideways so they span across the short side of the garage and allow for 4 lighting strips. I have 4 in my single car garage and I also painted the walls white which makes a huge difference. You cannot have too much light when you are trying to cut things to a fine pencil line or a knife line.
I also have an angle-poise for bringing in to illuminate specific areas in shadow.

I'm going for three: two lengthways so that I have one directly above my workbench on the left side, and my sharpening/utility bench on the righthand side. The third will go sideways to cover the area toward the door. I'll also likely have some task lighting near machines too. I'm painting the ceiling white, but wasn't sure if I should do the walls or not. I kind of like the OSB finish, but in reality, more light is probably a better idea than the aesthetics of the wall.

I recently had a new consumer unit fitted for my home...

Doors. Which way does your entrance face? My shop is just like yours (Except the house stairs intrude at the far end; a ruddy nuisance!) My metal door faces due south and I believe that is why I never get any condensation, nor ever a speck of rust. I don't think I would fit wooden doors now - John

My CU is in the garage (now workshop) so the sparky is putting in a dedicated 30amp ring to run all my sockets from. The lights will go on the secondary house lighting ring. As for my doors, they point towards 300 degrees West/North-West. It gets the sun from about 2pm onwards into the evening. Meaning it should hopefully be pretty warm, but the up & over really wastes a lot of space and lets a lot of air in. It is an expense I'd rather do without, but I figured it'll be worth it to replace as the new ones will be warmer, more secure, and free up a lot more space for a bandsaw and some storage.

 

[CMax]

Update:

My neighbour has since run the cabling, and I've finished the insulating, and boarding out. I have the paint for the ceiling and the floor but wasn't entirely sure if I should paint them. A part of me rationalises that it's just a workshop and I'll be using rubber matting on top of the chipboard flooring, another part of me would prefer it to look neater... to paint or not to paint?

Putting up the second row of boarding, while trying to feed the cables by my own was a frustrating and tiring experience. Worse than a Crossfit session! I eventually devised a technique using some 2x4 screwed to the lower level so that they could swivel and hold the upper row in place. Not ideal, but it worked in the end. I have just one spot left to cover and that's on the right wall where the double block wall meets the single skin brick wall. I have the piece cut, I just need to fix it in place when my back stops hurting.

Tomorrow will see the completion of the socket and light installation. I'll probably start work on the benches and tool storage before I upgrade the doors. I'm thinking I may build them myself and save some money, but we'll see. Not sure I have the skills to do that yet. The practice with the benches and storage cabinet should give me an indication if I'm up to the task.

Pics:

 

[Benchwayze]

I have no problem with space wastage due to the up and over door. I put some rafters in the ceiling at the door end for timber storage. Just meant careful measurement to avoid the door hitting the rafters. Also my benches go right up to the door and I still have room for shelves on the walls at that end. Maybe my garage is higher than usual as I have an MFT just in front of the door. The timber is starting to bow the rafters so I shall have to jack-up and slip some hardwood pads beneath the ends of the rafters. (I have about 18* headroom above the door frame. Two four foot flourescents illuminate amply. Garage is 17 feet by 8; very cosy! :mrgreen:

 

[CMax]

Sadly, I don't have much room above the door. For some odd reason, the first 8ft of the 16ft long ceiling is lower. Otherwise, like you've done, I'd use it for timber storage. For mine, I'm going to have a simple rolling rack that'll live against the back wall. My bench will be 6ft and will be position along the middle of the left wall. Thankfully, hand tools don't take up much room but I still want to be as economical with the space as I can and that will probably mean new doors.

 

[Benchwayze]

You are probably right. Don't get too wrapped up in the work, so you don;t notice a summer gale springing up!! Or you could lose a door!

Best of luck and enjoy your shop

John

 

[CMax]

Now that the infrastructure of the conversion is complete, I set about creating a 3D model to test the fit and layout of my proposed benches and shelves and whatnot. After a few hours of fiddling and changing things up, I've found something that works in the given space. I just need to crack on with building the benches and shelves now.

 

[Westwood]

Interesting
Is that a standard SketchUp model or the SketchUp pro version.
Looks pretty comprehensive

 

[CMax]

Interesting
Is that a standard SketchUp model or the SketchUp pro version.
Looks pretty comprehensive

I know this is a super old thread, but I seem to have lost a few years to illness and the pandemic and forgot I had started this. But to answer your question: it's just a regular Sketchup model using the basic software I downloaded years ago.

Sad to say my plans didn't get much beyond this and now I've sold the house, so it looks like I'll be making another workshop in a few month's time when I complete the move.